5 Fun and Educational Video Games for Kids

Ok, so video games are here to stay. They're fun to play and a great go-to on those days when you have to get something done and need to keep the kids occupied! When played in moderation, video games have shown to have several benefits. Research has shown that they help children focus better and gain a prolonged attention span, while letting them experience from their own understanding (as they unravel every level in a game) and encouraging their creativity, socializing (multiplayer platforms) and overall learning.The 5 video games listed below are not just fun to play but are also designed to enhance logical reasoning and decision making.1. Spicetoonshas been launched in 2015 and has already become a favourite of about 20,000+ Indian kids as well as their parents. It’s uniqueness lies in the very fact that even if a child accesses this game, it will be the parent's email ID that will receive notifications about the child’s activities within the game, thereby, ensuring that it is absolutely safe for kids.Showcasing a virtual world online, Spicetoons has been specially built and designed for Indian children in the 6-12 years age group. Focusing on the concept of “Gamification of Learning”, this game claims it has been designed on the ideas proposed by the world’s leading educational centers, including New York University, Michigan State University and Imperial College.Its main attraction lies in helping kids consume academic concepts through storytelling and identifying clues and finding the right answers. So the kids are learning while having fun as well!2. Big Brain Academy(Nintendo DS and Wii) challenges your kids to solve problems, wherein they can practice, play with a friend and compete, or play individually to assess their brain weight in test mode. Questions fall under the tabs named, Memory, Math, Identify, Think, and Analyze.

3. My Word Coach (Nintendo DS and Wii, iPad, iPhone) helps your kids learn new words to enhance their vocab. Including six solo player exercises and four multiplayer games, this game features four virtual coaches with distinctive approaches and measures that follow your kids’ progress in real time. And if you want your children to learn other languages, there are other versions, like My Spanish Coach or My Chinese Coach.

4. Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster (Xbox 360 Kinect) makes use of Microsoft Kinect’s camera to capture the activities and actions of your kids, while identifying their movements on screen.It’s a video game storybook, with each chapter featuring a monster with a problem that Cookie Monster and Elmo (played by you and your child) solve together. Every chapter run through a series of mini-games like obstacle races, wherein, your child’s body serves as the controller, while bucking up the qualities of action-oriented thinking and teamwork in your kid.

5. LittleBigPlanet 2(PlayStation 3) is an interesting game where your kids can use their imagination and work on their minds to create their own, customized world by solving puzzles, and sharing their creations with a larger community. This community is a member-based PlayStation group where the players sign up for free. Kids can discover the various levels with Sackboy- an adorable character that’s a sock toy. Kids can customize this character too- with costumes, stickers, or other prizes they win in the game. To help your kid socialise with other players online, the game also offers some levels where the player will only win with the help of other players.

When your kids will win at any one of the levels, puzzles or tests these games offer, they’ll not only have gained a joyous sense of achievement but also learned something new.Image source: via Google Images